At 6:30 this morning, as the sun was rising, National Geographic Sea Lion entered The Dalles Lock, the seventh of the eight locks we will navigate on our way down river to Portland. As we left the lock chamber and approached the city of The Dalles there was a spectacular view of Mount Hood, with the city glowing in the foreground! After tying up to the dock and eating another hardy breakfast, it’s off to a very full day of exploration of this area of the Columbia River Gorge. First a view of the gorge from Rowena Crest, 700 feet above, followed by walks to and through Mosier Tunnels. Then off to lunch at the Grag Rat Hut, a drive around the “Fruit Loops” area, down to Hood River for a kite-boarding demonstration, finishing with a visit to the Columbia River Gorge Interpretive Center! What a Day!
11/4/2023
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National Geographic Sea Bird
Astoria, Oregon
O! the Joy! Hmm, we needed to rethink that one this morning, as we woke to a rainy and blustery Astoria. What this weather did give us was a taste of historic authenticity in relation to the Corps of Discovery and their experiences here in the winter of 1805-06. Our first activity this morning was amongst the magnificent exhibits of the Columbia River Maritime Museum. This world-class facility tells the story of the mighty Columbia and the treacherous results to mariners when the river shoves against the incoming tides of the Pacific Ocean. As our day progressed, we crossed the Astoria-Megler bridge to the state of Washington. At the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center the winds continued but the rain subsided, and we enjoyed a sun-drenched afternoon with an option to walk a forest trail down to Waikiki Beach. The sun and sand were a siren to us and we made an additional stop at the North Jetty to get a water-level view of the waves crashing against the rocks of the Cape Disappointment lighthouse. The day turned out anything but disappointing.